Helio Castroneves hopes to seal legendary career with first IndyCar title

INDIANAPOLIS — When Scott Dixon made his North American open-wheel debut back in 2001 on the road course at Monterrey, Mexico, Helio Castroneves was there, already thriving in his fourth professional season.

When Simon Pagenaud arrived on the IndyCar Series scene at Barber Motorsports Park 10 years later, Castroneves was there, by then a three-time Indianapolis 500 champion.

When Josef Newgarden ran his first IndyCar race in 2012 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Castroneves was not only there, he won.

Throughout the past two decades, through the ups and downs of a sport colored by seemingly constant change in drivers, teams, cars, schedules and sponsors, Castroneves, 42, has been there, an ever-present figure in the Verizon IndyCar Series helping pave the way into the future.

Heading into Sunday’s season finale at Sonoma Raceway, Castroneves — a championship contender along with Newgarden, Dixon and Pagenaud — is on the precipice of his own finale as a fulltime series driver. Rumors of his move to Roger Penske’s reinvigorated sports car program next season have persisted for months, and neither Penske nor team president Tim Cindric nor Castroneves have done much to deny them.

While that does not ensure his departure, it does mean that this Sunday is very likely his final chance to tick the only unchecked box of his career. After 343 starts, 30 wins, 50 poles and 93 podiums, there is only one item left on Castroneves’ to-do list: win a season championship.

To date, the ledger reads an unsightly and unfathomable 0-for-19, though those 19 misses have not been without their close calls. The Brazilian has finished runner-up four times (2002, ‘08, ‘13, ‘14) and in the top three seven times, but he’s never been able to seal the deal.

Few have done more for the sport over the past 20 years than Castroneves. From his fan-favorite Spiderman celebrations, to his wildly successful stint on Dancing with the Stars, where he tangoed his way into the hearts of millions, he’s been among IndyCar’s loudest and proudest ambassadors.

And now, just 22 points back of Newgarden and 19 behind Dixon, Sunday could be his final chance to get the job done. No pressure, at least that’s what boyhood friend Tony Kanaan says.

“I don’t think he has anything to prove to anybody,” said Kanaan, himself a 20-year Indy car veteran. “This championship, if it comes, I’ll be extremely happy for him, but I don’t think it’s going to be something that he will regret if it never happens.”

Castroneves has dealt with the weight of that pressure for years, but Sunday will be different. For every year Castroneves left the season finale without the championship trophy, there was a glimmer of hope that next year would be the year he’d get it done. That safety net has now been yanked out from under him. And maybe, former IndyCar driver and NBCSN analyst Townsend Bell suggested, that’s a good thing.

“I actually think he’s one of the four guys in contention who has no pressure,” Bell told The Indianapolis Star. “In a way, he’s got nothing to lose, and he can just absolutely go for it. He’s not driving for his future, and in a way, that’s sort of a sweet and enviable position to be in. He can leave everything on the table.”

Castroneves said the weight of his future won’t be a burden. All he wants, he said, is for the conclusion of his long and storied career be the one that he deserves. Or as he put it “Hopefully it will be a happy end.”

Ayello writes for The Indianapolis Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.